As known, handgun holsters, in particular those in use by police officers and surveillance staff for defending people and goods, must be designed so as to hold the gun firmly, not only during the normal movements of the user but also when more intense physical efforts, or fights or similar circumstances occur, ensuring nonetheless an easy and quick gun extraction by the user, when needed.
Various safety devices are provided to such purpose, locking the gun inside the holster when not in use, allowing for a somehow quick release when necessary. In fact, these safety devices, if on the one hand must effectively fasten the gun to the holster when the same gun is at rest, on the other hand they must let the gun be easily and promptly extracted as soon as the necessity arises.
Among the different known arrangements, a particularly effective one is that making use of a movable strap applied to the opening of the holster so as to encircle the gun in correspondence to the stock when the same gun is accommodated inside the holster. A snap fastening device biases the strap in this position preventing the gun from coming out of the holster. In order to extract the gun, it is sufficient to press a push-button arranged on the strap to disengage/release the snap fastening device, overcoming an elastic reaction, and make the strap angularly displace so as to set the gun free.
A further improved safety is obtained, namely to prevent the strap from being rotated accidentally or by a person different from the user wearing the holster, if the strap releasing push-button is provided with a stop that must necessarily be removed if one wishes to permit the rotation. In this way, the safety of the device is indeed improved; however, the extraction of the gun is made more troublesome since two distinct movements of the hand must in sequence be carried out. This is a possible source of difficulties and delays, that can also put the user in danger.
A solution that is substantially equivalent to the one just described is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,712, the strap being replaced by a movable cap.
In US2007/181619 a holster having the features in the preamble of annexed claim 1 is disclosed. 1. The holster includes a shutter that locks from above the holster opening, and a release device mounted in a side wall of the holster and comprising a displaceable member the actuation of which causes the shutter to rotate and clear the holster opening for permitting the extraction of the holster. However, the shutter is bulky and the rotation, towards the front side of the holster, is not duly safe and convenient.
It is therefore still deeply felt the need for an improved holster safety device that is suitable for any kind of handguns and has a gun locking/unlocking system that does not have the above mentioned advantages of the known devices.